It is well known that nutrition plays an important role in academic performance and several studies have observed significant links between the consumption of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals and classroom achievement, conduct, and basic intelligence. (Schoenthaler S. J., “Effect of Nutrition on Crime, Intelligence, Academic Performance, and Brain Function” paper presented at 15th International Conference on Human Function, Sep. 22-24, 2000, Wichita, Kansas). Despite efforts by federal and state government agencies to improve the quality of nutrition during childhood, the majority of children fail to obtain sufficient nutrition to perform their best when at school. According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, children are facing a health crisis with regard to nutrition and exercise. Few are meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and many fail to eat healthy foods and are physically inactive. The Centers for Disease Control reported that a survey in 2003 revealed that only 22 percent of high school students had consumed the recommended five daily servings of fruits and vegetables (excluding fried-potato products) during the previous seven days.
Another issue associated with poor nutrition is the lack of student discipline. This has become one of the most serious problems facing the nation's educational system and can be found in many school environments. The most common form is the minor kind of misbehavior that disrupts classroom activities and interferes with learning. It is estimated that about one-half of classroom time in American schools is taken up with activities other than instruction, and disciplinary problems are responsible for a large part of this lost time.
There exists a need for nutritional supplements and methods for their use that enhance academic and behavioral performance of children in academic settings by improving their nutrition. The present invention satisfies this need and is also effective in improving learning and behavior in other settings and among other age groups.